One of the many hit TV shows inextricably linked to the 1980’s is The A-Team, an action series with plenty of bombs, machine guns, and bazookas – where miraculously no one ever seems to die! Short for “Alpha Team,” The A-Team is a Vietnam-era crack commando unit wrongfully accused of robbing the Bank of Hanoi. Having escaped from a maximum security prison, the four man team survives in the anonymity of the Los Angeles underground. And with the government still hot on their tr…
The Flintstones (DVD) Review
Turning the television world flat on its head, The Flintstones became the first animated hit series in prime time history. Set in the Stone Age town of Bedrock, the show explored the lives of ancient cave dwellers through the lens of a modern lifestyle, with bird beaks acting as phonograph needles, elephant trunks as vacuum cleaners, and fireflies as light bulbs. With its measured use of top-grade humor and clever visuals, The Flintstones became an instant smash hit – spawnin…
Beauty And The Beast (DVD) Review
Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Beauty And The Beast is one of Disney’s greatest animated achievements. Its massive success reinvigorated the Disney animation juggernaut which had been dormant for decades, launching the release of smashing blockbusters such as Aladdin, The Lion King, and Finding Nemo. Taking home two Oscars for Best Music (Original Score and Original Song), the film launched a trend in Disney animation by blending musical numbers (wit…
CSI (Season 3) DVD Review
CSI follows the lives of several employees working the nightshift of the Las Vegas Police DepartmentÂ’s Crime Scene Investigation unit led by the quirky and methodic Gil Grissom (William Petersen), a dedicated workaholic. The crime lab team is composed of numerous technicians from different backgrounds – single mother Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) specializes in blood analysis, while the highly ambitious Nick Stokes (George Eads) tackles fiber and hair analysis. Warric…
Dawson’s Creek (Season 6) DVD Review
Recipient of widespread critical acclaim and winner of 12 Teen Choice Awards during its five-year run, Dawson’s Creek was one of the most widely followed dramas among American teens. An unprecedented smash hit for the burgeoning WB network, the show highlighted an amazing portfolio of original hit series created by the network including Buffy spin-off Angel (1999), Gilmore Girls (2000), and Smallville (2001).
Dawson’s Creek follows the life of title character Dawson Leery …
Frasier (Season 2) DVD Review
Much like the shows Seinfeld and Friends, Frasier, the Kelsey Grammer Cheers spin-off, dominated the NBC prime time TV lineup throughout the 1990s. Grammer stars in the title role of Dr. Frasier Crane who, recently divorced, moves back to his home city of Seattle, Washington. Landing a gig as a radio psychiatrist, Frasier reluctantly agrees to let his father Marty (John Mahoney), a Seattle cop recently shot in an attempted robbery, move into his new bachelor pad. Both Frasier…
Gilligan’s Island (DVD) Review
Nominated for zero Emmys in its short three-season stint, Gilligan’s Island nonetheless has carved itself a notable niche in the television hall of fame. The brainchild of TV icon Sherwood Schwartz, longtime TV writer and creator of The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island quickly gathered a strong cult following, reaching successive generations of fans via syndication following its cancellation and even spawning a cable TV reality show four decades later. An original CBS series, t…
I Claudius (DVD) Review
Think history is boring? Think again! I Claudius is proof that an educational film can also be one of the most popular and entertaining series ever produced. A 1976 mini-series, starring many of the best known theatrical performers of its day, I Claudius is one of, if not the, greatest productions chronicling the history of the Roman Empire. Covering the period from the later years of Augustus’s rule as the first emperor of Rome to the death of Emperor Claudius, I Claudius ta…
Law And Order (Season 2) DVD Review
The recipient of more than 52 Emmy nominations since its inception in 1990, Law & Order is one of the more popular television shows of the modern era. Boasting a four additional Golden Globe nominations for Best TV Dramatic Series, Law & Order is more than a traditional TV show, it’s quite possibly television’s most lucrative franchise ever, spawning popular spin-offs Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001), and Law & Order: Trial By Jury…
Million Dollar Baby (DVD) Review
Nominated for 5 Golden Globes and 7 Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Million Dollar Baby opened to widespread critical acclaim and excellent audience reviews. Director Clint Eastwood, whose career spans multiple decades in Hollywood, creates perhaps his greatest film to date, and co-stars Morgan Freeman (Shawshank Redemption) and Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry) light up the screen with their deft character portrayals and unique charisma. Combining all …
Quantum Leap (DVD) Review
Despite its short run (March 1989 – May 1993), Quantum Leap is nevertheless one of the more memorable dramatic series in television history. Although the show borrows from a concept employed in other realms, such as Highway To Heaven (with its theme of a mysterious force interceding to transform a single life), it adds a unique twist by utilizing elements of science fiction. Created by Donald P. Bellisario (creator of Magnum, P.I., JAG, and countless other hit shows), Quantum…
Seinfeld (Season 6) DVD Review
The #1 television show for most of the mid-1990s decade, Seinfeld is a brilliantly conceived idea for a comedy series which redefinied the TV sitcom as we know it. Almost every series since has borrowed bits and pieces of its “nothing theme” in order to entertain rather than attempt to teach at the same time. Centered around the world of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, the show follows the exploits of Jerry and his various friends, who include such notable personalities as George Co…